Suburban Dresses Up For Its 75th Birthday

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What do you get when you cross an Escalade with a Suburban? No – you actually get Chevrolet’s Suburban dressed up in a White Diamond Tricoat sheetmetal suit and a cashmere leather interior. Dubbed the Chevy Suburban 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition, GM is celebrating its longest running model name the longest-running nameplate in the entire industry by commemorating 2,570 ‘Burbans with a plethora of standard stuff, including unique badge-work and celebrative stitching.

There’s no better way to celebrate a nameplate older than the entire Volkswagen brand. Here’s to another 75 years for American SUV that big families love and hippies hate.

Check out GM’s presser after the break.

2010 Chevrolet Suburban 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition

2010 Chevrolet Suburban 75 Anniversary Diamond Edition

2010 Chevrolet Suburban

2010 Chevrolet Suburban

PRESS RELEASE

At 75, Chevrolet Suburban is the Longest-Running Nameplate in US Auto History

CHICAGO – The Chevrolet Suburban, the venerable hauler of people and cargo that debuted in the Great Depression, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year as the king of continuous U.S. automotive production.

No other nameplate has been around longer without at least some time off.

“Having been a part of our automotive landscape for three-quarters of a century, the Chevrolet Suburban embodies the traits that have come to define the American SUV,” says Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

“Its longevity in the marketplace speaks to both the resourcefulness of the original design team and the good judgment of the decision makers at General Motors who knew better than to tamper with a winning idea,” Kendall said.

The idea for the Suburban was born out of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered car-based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as depot hacks, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo around train stations and boat docks. Enclosed models, typically without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries.

Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial chassis in the mid-1930s, and the Suburban Carryall was launched in 1935. The original Suburban could seat eight, while easily removable seats provided a large, 75-inch-long by 77-inch-high (1,905 x 1,956 mm) cargo area. The heavy-duty chassis of the Suburban increasingly found favor with professional customers, including the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.

The foundation of strength and capability that propelled the brand for more than seven decades is still evident today. The 2010 Chevrolet Suburban seats up to nine, or can accommodate 137.4 cubic feet (3,891 L) of cargo with the second-row seats folded and third-row seat removed. With the standard Vortec 5.3L FlexFuel engine and fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission, Suburban half-ton models can tow up 8,100 pounds (2,674 kg). Suburban 2500 models offer a 6.0L/six-speed powertrain combination and a maximum towing rating of 9,600 pounds (4,354 kg).

A 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban goes on sale early this summer and is limited to 2,570 units (including 350 for Canada and other export markets). It is distinguished by a White Diamond Tricoat exterior color and Cashmere interior, along with unique 20-inch chrome-clad wheels and new roof rack rails.

“Times have changed, but the Suburban remains a fixture in the industry for private and professional customers who need truck-like towing capability with maximum passenger and cargo space,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “The Suburban’s core capabilities and dependability have remained constant for more than seven decades and generations of people know that a Suburban will haul people and their gear.”

For more information about the history and capability of Suburban, please visit: Chevrolet Suburban At 75: A Historical Look At An Industry Icon. For more information on the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.petersen.org.

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7 Comments

I feel GM could’ve done more for this mile-stone of a day. Like come out with a whole new look all together, or like a limited vintage looking one. but looking at this, Escaburban, it leaves me saying one thing:

At the beguinning of May 2010, I was all set to go on a Volvo XC70. Couldn’t find the one I wanted. Then life changed and I suddenly found myself looking @ a Suburban and a Grand Sport Vette Convertible in triple black. Dealer tried to manipulate me and get me to go w/ Summit White w/v Ebony LTZ. I wanted Silver. Then I saw this thing and , damn it if things didn,t change again! I am no longer talking to THAT dealer! He never mentioned this unit coming, and he tried to get 6700.00 more from me than he was entitiled to ! Shame, Shame, Shame!

I had a lot of Corvettes of jeeps and a “Grown Up” in the suburbs is the perfect vehicle for me at this time. My black LTZ seems to be everywhere, because it raises the Secret Service / impression of government.